The Case of Coetzee: South African Literary Criticism, 1990 to Today

Abstract

The 1970s and 80s witnessed a vigorous, often polemical debate in the South African literary field between those dubbed "instrumental" (or political) critics and those of "art" persuasion. The end of apartheid promised a new phase of discussion. What has happened, however, is not so much a turn to artistic issues, but a turn to continental philosophers (Derrida, Foucault, Levinas) as theorists of an ethical respect for and responsibility to "otherness". At the center of such critical attention has been the novelist, J.M. Coetzee.
    The "case of Coetzee" provokes consideration of what, by the end of the 1990s, was in danger of becoming a new orthodoxy, in which the abstract language of theory is imported into the text, often erasing the very character that grants the literary work its experiential distinctiveness.
    The article asks: is it not time to go beyond Coetzee's Disgrace (1999), to seek a new critical project for the new millennium? Perhaps Coetzee himself points a way forward.

Opsomming
In die 1970's en 1980's was daar 'n lewendige, soms polemiese debat in die Suid­Afrikaanse letterkunde. Die deelnemers was die sogenaamde "instrumentele" (of politieke) kritici en die wat op "kuns" gerig was. Die beeindiging van apartheid het die belofte van 'n nuwe fase van debatvoering meegebring. In der waarheid het kritici hulle egter nie op kunsvraagstukke begin toespits nie - hulle het hulle gewend tot Europese filosowe (Derrida, Foucault, Levinas) as teoretici van 'n etiese respek vir en verantwoordelikheid teenoor "andersheid". Die romanskrywer J.M. Coetzee was die fokuspunt van hierdie kritiese aandag.
    Coetzee se "geval" het gelei tot 'n beskouing wat teen die einde van die 1990's die gevaar geloop het om 'n nuwe ortodoksie te word. Daarvolgens word die abstrakte taal van teorie in die teks ingevoer, dikwels ten koste van die karakter wat in werl<likheid 'n eiesoortige ervaring aan die literere werk verleen.
    Die artikel vra: Is die tyd nou gelee om Coetzee se Disgrace (1999) agter te laat en 'n nuwe litererekritiekprojek vir die nuwe millennium te soek? Miskien kan Coetzee self 'n voorstel maak oor die rigting wat ingeslaan moet word.